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US ready for talks on Ukraine only on basis of Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’ — Nuland

The US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs said that the Ukrainian side proposed a ten-point plan to achieve peace

MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. The United States backs talks on Ukraine only on the basis of a 10-point "peace formula" proposed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said in an interview with TASS.

"The Ukrainian side has put forward a ten-point peace proposal. There has been zero response from the Russian side with regard to that. If peace negotiations were to start on the basis of the ‘just peace’ formula that the Ukrainians have put forward, obviously we would support that," Nuland said, answering a question if the US was ready for talks on Ukraine.

The top State Department official did not answer a question if Washington has heard Russia’s statements that the negotiations are possible only if the US halts weapons supplies and Kiev stops shelling Russian cities.

"What we say and what President [Joe] Biden said again in Poland is if Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends," Nuland said.

While addressing the G20 summit in mid-November by video link, Zelensky said that Kiev had its own ten-point "peace plan." He mentioned nuclear, food and energy security, prisoner exchange under the "all-for-all" formula, as well as the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described this plan as "a completely absurd initiative.".